Trilobite Paleontological Siet of Canalgrande

Trilobite Paleontological Site of Canalgrande
Nation: Italy
Region: Sardinia
Province: Cagliari
Municipality: Iglesias

Site belonging to the historical and environmental Geomineral Park of Sardinia. In the Cambrian schists of the Punta Manna formation there is a rich fauna of Arthropods with over 15 species of Trilobites of the Lower Cambrian, particularly Dolerolenus zoppii, Anadoxides armatus and Enantiapsis enantiopa. There are also various species of Archaeocyatids.

The Canalgrande site, composed of an inlet and by the cliffs that surround it, lies in an area that is particularly endowed with natural beauties. The calcareous schists that formed in a deep Cambrian sea full of life are part of a powerful calcareous succession as thick as 2000 metres. The cliffs’ exposed walls show the dense stratification and the rich fossiliferous heritage. Apart from the Trilobites and Archaeocyatids, fragments of Brachiopods and Echinoderms were found in some carbonatic detrital layers.

Constraints: historical and environmental Geomineral Park of Sardinia (Ministerial Decree 16/10/2001)

Point of interest: from a chronostratigraphical point of view it is one of the most ancient Paleontological sites of Italy. It is a type-locality for the Dolerolenus zoppii species.

Deterioration risk: medium

Type of deterioration: meteoric agents, human action.

Bibliography:

ANGELELLI F., ROSSI R. (2002) - I tipi di trilobiti della Collezione Meneghini - Rasetti del Cambriano della Sardegna, conservati nel Museo del Servizio Geologico d'Italia. Geoarcheologia, 1: 23-38. Roma.

ANGELELLI F., ROSSI R. - EDITOR ANGELELLI F. (2004) - Catalogue of types preserved in "Paleontological Collections" of APAT - Rome. Mem. Descr. Carta Geol. d'It., LXV, 1-164, 6 figg. 42 tavv. f.t., Roma.

MENEGHINI G. (1882) - Fauna cambriana dell'Iglesiente in Sardegna. Atti Soc. Toscana Sci. Nat. Proc. Verb., 3: 158-166, Pisa.

RASETTI F. (1972) - Cambrian trilobite faunas of Sardinia. Accad. Naz. Lincei, Mem. Cl. Sc. Fis. Mat. Nat., ser. VIII, 11, II (1): 1-100, 19 tavv., Roma.